This extreme Double Imperial IPA is brewed with American Cascades and English First Gold hops for a deliciously unique hop profile. Bitter, malty, with a definite alcohol note, this beer is one of our most assertive and extreme.

Reviews by NCBeernut:

Got this one on tap from Woody's at City Market. Served in a pint glass.

Dense one-finger pillowy head that never falls. Massive citrusy hop aroma with a touch of pine, that lets you know what is coming. Juicy fruity hopiness dominated by citrus flavors, with a bit of pine and a slight floral note - think fruity, juicy citrus though. Finish is neutral - not dry, but no real sweetness. Mouthfeel is sublime. Creamy, oily and full - this really just makes the difference between a good and great IPA for me. I would have never guessed in a million years that this was almost 9%, but with all these hops, I guess that can be done. Not quite as good as Racer X, but its in the same ballpark.

I think I might have to say that Bear Republic makes my favorite IIPAs (but Hopslam is right there as well).

More User Reviews:

A - Hazy amber, nice off white head, low carbonation, head fades to a covering quickly and leaves some lacing.

S - Light citrus and alcohol.

T - Boozy, alcohol up front and throughout. The citrus hops are there, but not a whole lot of hop flavor when compared to the bitterness and the alcohol. There is a bit of sweet caramel malt flavor in the middle, but finishes with alcohol.

M - Nice moderate body, that ends resinous and bitter. Some carbonation would help clean it up.

O - I love Bear Republic, I do not love this beer. Could really use some more hop aroma and flavor. I can forgive the carbonation because it was a growler...carbonation is also dependent on the server. Not their best beer or a great example of an American IIPA.

Another high quality offering from BRBC on tap at the Blind Tiger in NYC as part of their BR event. I found this one to be somewhat softer and smoother then the APEX DIPA. More rounded and with less of a biting hop crunch. Exceptionally smooth, tasty, herbal, earthy, frash tasting. Alcohol present but well in the rear. Notes of citrusy hops, smooth sweet malt under blanket. Thoroughly enjoyable, a treat on tap, wish this flowed in my local area on a regular basis. Again, one sip was all it took for the brain to say, quality, worthy DIPA.

Tap @ Hamilton's. Nice surprise considering I had never seen it before. Poured clear gold with a short white head. Thick, stick lacing. Sweet, citrusy nose with a lighter malt backbone. Not much pine. Carbonated, bubbly mouthfeel that helped cut a heavier bodied, hoppy beer. Heavy grapefruit and lemongrass hops flavors. Lesser sour orange and mango-like flavors. Kind of medicinal towards the middle, and the alcohol shows a bit. No real malt stickiness or over-sweetness. Kind of an earthy/grassy/wooden finish that was out of place. Not nearly as good as Racer X, not even in the same area code, but still a solid DIPA.

Ah some old notes from the 9th dipa Bistro festival. Slow work day today!

Orange/ruby appearance, on the low-average head size but high-average on the lace.

Bigger fruit aspect to the aroma and taste. The usual culprits, orange, grapefruit, pine, but throw in some maybe mango & apple to up the sweetness, but not to a level that makes it chickish. Very herbal.

Downside, if there is one (because no doubt this is an upper echelon beer if you like hops) is the viscosity (thicker than desired) and the tendency to feel the sweetness as masking the alcohol.

As advertised, this brew is a translucent hue of gold and apricot, with a sizable half-inch off-white head that leaves a ton of caked-on lacing. It's really a very pretty beer, and I almost don't want to drink it, but I must, for science! The nose is quite hoppy, with an undertone of grapefruit and grassy pine. Sweet caramelized malts appear after the initial barrage of hops, along with a very minimal tinge of booze on the back end.

A slightly sweetish note to start on the initial sip, which is quickly quenched by a big blast of hoppy bitterness. I've had bitterer brews before, but this is definitely living up to its touted description. Notes of pine resin and quite a bit of citrus accentuate the bitterness and provide a smooth contrast to the subdued, but substantial malt character. Booziness is detectable on the finish, but doesn't really detract from the drinkability, thanks in part to a lush, near-full-bodied mouthfeel. Carbonation is just-so, enough to support the tenuous spiciness.

After having had Altered Beast by the same brewery, Mach 10 was up against some admittedly stacked odds. And while it didn't exactly come close to matching its tastier brother, it is still a very, very good beer that hopheads and bitterbombers will enjoy very much.

Sweet gentle aromatics push right through my plate of jalapeño and smoked chicken topped nachos...suggesting wildflowers, candied ginger, sourdough crumpets, wet-hops, and fresh wort. Lovely, atypical for the style, and I'm readily infatuated. I suspect the big dose of English First Gold hops is responsible here...

Alas the love seems to be unrequited as the flavors can't quite deliver the promise of the nose. More fresh wort for sure, raw ingredients - brown sugar and hops sauteed together...passion fruit perhaps...hop syrup, and caramelized grain in the finish.

Not-quite-medium-bodied, slick, well carbonated.

Unique, fresh-from-the-kettle, clean, almost farm-like flavors. Vague pine, but the Cascade seems to be contributing more bitterness than flavor and neither in excess, despite the brewery's hyperbolic claims about this being their most EXTREME Imperial IPA. Very good beer that transports you right to Healdsburg.

Had a mug at the Blue Tusk in Syracuse. Yes, it's hoppy and malty, but not hoppy enough for a DIPA. I guess I'd call it more of a blond American barleywine. The barley felt thick, even for a 9% beer, and wasn't particularly distinct. It was more of an overly-sweet caramel bread with a little toast. The hops don't stand out enough. The spicy citrus hops are balanced on par with a pale ale. Even if there's 100+ IBU, they're getting lost. I shouldn't get too down on this beer, it's tasty and something different for the style. I just want less sugar and more hops.

Had on tap at the ginger man in NYC- poured a slightly hazy golden orange color with a half finger white head; decent retention and a tiny bit of lacing.

Smell is very enticing- I smell piney hops and black tea (not unsimilar to sorachi ace). Nice bready malt sweetness with a bit of warming alcohol on the waY down. Excellent taste and perfectly balanced.

Surprisingly quaffable- good medium body with moderate carbonation. Buy if you find it!!

From a growler into a pint glass. Big thanks to my good buddy Barscream for hooking several of us up with this while waiting in line during a recent beer release.

Pours a hazy copper, with a finger or so of egghshell-white foamy head. Retains stays rich, leaving back some equally robust lacing. The aroma is loaded with plenty of grapefruit character and more bitter citrus. It's also pretty floral and spicy, with some extra citric notes and malts providing the bulk of the sweetness. A bit of smoke appears from the malts as this warms, putting off a slight tang in the nose.

The taste is similar, with a LOT of bitter, juicy, grapefruit. The hop bitterness is more on the moderate side, with a good bit of spice that really shows itself towards the back of the profile. A toasted grainy sweetness sits underneath, giving off more smoky roasted notes while the finish is dry, spicy, and bitter with fruit. The mouthfeel is medium bodied, with a creamier carbonation up front that then gets more prickly towards the back of the swallow. Good drinkibility here for the size. I had no problem handling several samples of this.

Another well done IPA here from Bear Republic. While it certainly doesn't quite match up with a Racer 5 or X, it still brought it's own tasty game to the table, with namely lots of hoppy fruit and spice and a nice job of handling it's high ABV. Definitely worth a try if you see it on tap.